Living Well Haven

            I have been very busy framing all my paintings for ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival in Jupiter, Florida  February 15-17!  I had fun picking out the right frame for each painting and had them custom made.   This final professional touch enhances the look of my impressionist paintings!   Each painting will be ready to hang in a new home.

Eye Candy ] 5x7" Gallery Wrapped Canvas Original Acrylic Impressionist  Coastal Painting Sold "Solace" 5x7"  SOLD    Coastal Home Décor Two vibrant sunset coastal paintings with sparkling reflections that will be at home in any coastal decor!  

Tuscan Coastal Paintings "Café Fresco" Original Acrylic Painting SOLD Prints start at $22 Commissions: Custom Original Painting Order Accepted BUY : Visit Original Paintings Shop BUY :   Canvas, Wood and Metal Prints, Pillows, Totes and More! Inspired by Amalfi, Italy this charming Tuscan style painting will transport you to a café along the coast! I used layers of glazing to achieve depth and texture in this vivid impressionist painting.  Imagine yourself sitting under a sunny umbrella having a cup of mocha! Boats can often pull right up to local villages in Italy.      

Amber's Artsy Notes Learn How To Make Transport and Storage Bags for Paintings This weekend I made some art transport and storage bags for Artigras out of Reflectix from Lowes.  It is used for insulation but cuts just like material.  This stuff is like durable bubble wrap!  I read that people make all kinds of stuff out it, including sleeping bags and lunch bags!  I ran out of Reflectix before I finished, so I will make another trip to Lowes to buy some more-I paid about $38 for this 25x48 roll.  They also make a 25x24 roll for $23 so you save more with the other, and you will need the larger roll if you have large paintings!  I got ten bags done in a variety of sizes from this roll and have about 15 more bags to make for my smaller paintings.  I need to go buy some Velcro for the flaps too.   The article I reference below tells you how you can buy similar bags already made, but they are pricey.  ...

 Amber's Artsy Notes It is January 1, and I am making good on my New Year's Resolution to also include a post once in awhile on art tips and things I have learned on my artistic journey.  I hope to help other artists in some small way---it is about paying it forward.  I hope that you find the tips and resources helpful.  I've started off on the right foot  with two posts about my new easel and one on applying an isolation coat and varnishing! Applying Isolation Coats on Acrylic Paintings: Look who came to dinner!  Over my Christmas break from my job, I was working on getting all my paintings ready for my first art show-Artigras Art Festival. Some of my acrylic paintings are shown on my dinning room table where I was working assembly line style.  Preparing your paintings for varnishing is an important step.    Each of my acrylic paintings received three isolation co...

12x16 Gallery Wrapped Canvas  "Good Morning" SOLD Prints start at $22 Commissions: Custom Original Painting Order Accepted BUY : Visit Original Paintings Shop BUY :   Canvas, Wood and Metal Prints, Pillows, Totes and More! Coastal Decor Painting My favorite time to be at the beach is at sunrise or sunset and this coastal painting would be at home in any beach style home.  I saw the most magnificent sunrise on South Padre Island when I was there on vacation, and this painting was inspired by that sunrise.  The grassy dunes and Railroad Vines seem to greet the day as the sun rises above the glistening ocean.   This soft impressionist painting was completed with layers of glazing and is on a gallery wrapped canvas so no framing is necessary (the coastal painting continues around the sides). 

I am so excited about my new Richeson Best Classic Dulce Easel-a very nice Christmas gift! The easel now has two knobs that hold the canvas tray!   The H-frame easel is a sturdy solid oak easel that I just love!  It also has an adjustable sliding mast that moves independent of the wide bottom canvas holder/utility tray.  I did put some painters tape on it so I can clean up easier and protect the tray.  I will be buying some casters for the predrilled holes in case I want to move it out of the room.  Sometimes I like to paint by the kitchen table! It is easy enough to move without them though.  The easel was easy to put together.  This youtube video was very helpful on how to assemble the easel.  Here is another video that shows how easy it is to fold! These easels are handcrafted in Wisconsin and have a lifetime warranty!  I had several questions and the customer service at Richeson was awesome....